Rotary explosive-engine.



116.851.615; PATENTBD APR. so, 19o?.

R. E. K RAUSB. ROTARY BxPLosIvB ENGINE.

` APPLIOLTION-IILBD 1320.3, 1904.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

R. E. KRAUSB. ROTARY BXPLOSIVB ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 3, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET -2.

im. 851,675. l PATBNTBD APR. ao, 1907.

1;. E. KRAUSB. ROTARY .EXPLOSIVB ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 3. 1904.

3 SHEETB-SHEBT 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

RICHARD E. KRAUsE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssIGNOR or ONE-HALF To ERNEST J. KALTENBACH, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

A ROTARY EXPLOSYlVE-ENGgIE.

Specication of Letters` Patent. I Application filed :DecemberA 3, 1904. Serial No. 235,314.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Tn all 'rbh/11n, it T11/Ly concern." v

Beit known that I, RICHARD E. KRAUSE, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to iml provements in rotary engines and specifically to that class known as rotary explosion or internal combustion engines. The objects of this invention are generally to improve and simplify the construction of engines of this class to increase their efficiency and effect economy in the manufacture thereof.

I will describe a preferred embodiment of my invention and point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the en `ne. Fi 2 is a section on the line (L -a, ig. 1, loo 'ng in the direction of the arrow. Fig 3 is a transverse horizontal section showing the pump and pipes in elevation. Figs. 4 and 5 show modified forms of the piston and admission ports.

In the general construction of the engine, 1 is the base havin suitable side supports 2 which are adapted to sup ort the hubs 3 and 4, said hubs respective y forming part of the cylinder 5 ,and the cylinder head 6. Journaled Within thesel hubs 3 and 4 is the main shaft 8, said shaft .having splined thereon within the cylinder 5 a' piston 10, as shown in Fig. 3.

The cylinder 5 is preferably constructed in the manner shown in Fi 3, that is, the circumferential walls and t e side walls on one side of said cylinder are formed integral,

w thereby reducing possibility of leaka e.

-The plate 6 forming the head of the cylinc er is boltedthereto in the manner shown in4 Fig. 1 and has cut therein suitable admission ports which will be hereinafter explained.

' In order to keep the working parts as cool as possible and to promote a free circulation of air through the engine I preferably con- Struct the cylinder 5, piston 10 and cylinder Vhead 6 in the manner shown inFigs. 2 and 3,

that is, the said parts each have h'ubs whichV are journaled on the main shaft 8, but are cut away as shown in Fig. 2 and have res ectively arms 11, 12 and 13. Thus it Wil be wall of the cylinder.

shown in Fig. 2.

seen that when the engine is in operation air can freely circulate around the piston and cylinder, thereby keeping said parts cooled.

The main portion 14 of the Iston 10 is of less diameter than that of t e interior of the cylinder and is concentric therewith. The piston is provided with a plurality of piston blades 15 which engage the interior One side of each piston blade 15 presents a face 16 which forms one of thel side walls of a combustion chamber 17. These faces or walls 16 are'almost radial while each of the outer walls 18 of said piston blades is tangential to the portion 14.

The object of this construction is to have the walls 16 present a desirable working surface within the combustion chamber, while the outer walls 18 will operate to raise the abutments.

Slidably mounted in openings within the peripheral walls of the cylinder are abutments 23 which are capable of being moved outwardly through the cylinder by means of the walls v18 of the piston blades.

These abutments are returned to the position shown- Vin Fig. 2 by means of expansion springs 25, mounted on rods 26, said rods being secured to the body of the cylinder 1n the manner vided with lugs 28 through which rods 26 pass and against which the expansion springs 25 rest so that when said abutments are driven out bythe piston blades they will be returned by the springs 25 expanding against said lugs. l.

` The exhaust ports 20 are arranged in the manner shown 1n Figs. 1 and 2, that is, the said ports are placed adjacent to the sliding abutments 23 so that when the piston rotates all the inertgases will be driven out of said cylinder before the abutment is moved from the position' shown in Fig. 2.

ton blades are of sufficient length to overlap 'lhe abutments 23 are prov It will be ob served that the tangential sides 18 of the pis"- an abutment and the adjacent exhaust port.

This will revent any appreciable amount of inert gas fieing trapped 1n the short space between the abutment and exhaust port and consequently there will be no back pressure on the piston. By reason of this complete rc- /moval of the inert gases from thecylin d er prior to the lifting of the abutments it will be ohserved thatwhen the parts assume the position shown In Fig. 2 the combustion chamber structionor design, but preferably what is known as a jump spark, the sparking of said plugs being so timed as to occur after the admission ports are closed. Projecting directly into the combustion chambers, also l shown in Fig. 3, are relief-#cocks 31 which are generally used when/it desired to start the engme.

Some means must be provided for supplying the explosive mixture under pressure to the combustion chambers, and it is, of course, desirable that tlns be done automatically. In the present case I have shown means eentrolled by the rotation of the piston for governing the admission of the explosive mixture to the 'combustion chambers, and I have also shown means operated `by the shaft S for compfessing the explosive/mixture I will'now,-..d'escribe specifically the preferred means employed for these urposes.

Attached to the side wa of the piston, en one side, in any suitable manner, is a ring 35 which is adapted to ride in a groove 36 cut in the side wall of the cylinder in the manner shown in Fig.' 3. ThisA ring overlaps the meeting lines of the walls of the piston and the cylinder and acts as a packing ring to prevent the escapeof gases from the cylinder. Secured to the side wall of the piston, on the opposite side, is a circularplate 3S which is of sufficient diameter to ride against the interior wall of the cylinder'. This plate 38 is arranged to ride in a groove 39 in the head of the cylinder in the same manner as the ring 35 and also acts as a packing ring between the cylinder head and the piston.

This platehas cut therein openings 40 (see Fig. 2) which extend'from the top of the pis- -ton to the periphery of the plate and are preferably of elongated formation. This plate operates to open and close the admission ports either simultaneously, successively or alternately, as may be desired. In

Fig.V 2 the plate 38 is shown to simultane-- ously open the ports diametrically opposite each other so that when an ex lesion occurs, the force of said explosion wil be delivered -sin'mltaneously against the two opposite -sides of the piston, thereby removing the strain 011 said piston. Secured to the cylinder head 6 in any suitable manner are the gas retaining chambers 43. .Leading directly from the gas retaining chambers to the combustion chambers are admission/ports 44 similar in shape -to the openings 4() in' the plate 38..' Connected to the gas retaining chambers 43 is a pipe 46,- (Figs. 1 and 3),

carbureter 51 to said pressure pump.

which is directly connected to a pipe 47, said pipe 47 being connected to the pressure pump 4S. The )ressure pump 48 a so has a pipe 49 which is directly connected to a pipe 50, said pipe conveying the gas directly from the Connected to the pipe 46 and the pipe 49 is a pipe 52 which has'therein a valve 53. Lo-

- cated within the pipe 49 is a spring actuated valve 55 which isy ca )able ofv bein(r o )cned when the piston 56 of said pump movesl downward and which will close when said piston is moved upward. Located Within the pipe 47 is a valve 57, similar iu construction to valve 55, but operating in an opposite manner, that -is, when the piston 56 moves downward said valve 57 `will be closed. but

when the piston' is moved upward the said valve will be opened.

' 'l'he pressure pump 48 is suitably supported by a bracket 60 forming part of the hub' 4 of the cylinder head. Piston 56 is opera'- tively controlled by piston rod 61, said pisi makes its upward stroke the valve 55 will beclosed whereupon the gases will open valve 57 and be lforced through pipe 47 to pipe 46 and then enter the gas retaining chambers 43 by which time the circular plate 3S will have brought the openings 4.0 therein into position to register with the openings 44 in the cylinder head, thereby admitting the gases to the explosion chamber, whereupon the circular plate 3S will. continue `to rotate and when the parts have assumed the-position shown in ig. 2, that is, so that the openings 40 have passed the opening 44 and the abutments have dropped, an explosion will occur and the piston receives its driving force.

The pressure pump will always take in sufiicient gas from the carhureter to give the required pressure within the explosion chambers, 'l'he pipe 52 which connects the pipe 46 and pipe 49 may be here termed a shunt pipe and is employed to regulate the pressureof the gases delivered to the combustiori chambers. If the valve 53 in pipe 52 is closed the pressure pump 48 will deliver the gases to the c linder under extreme pressure,

,but if the va ve 53 is opened to any degree which may be desired, more or less of the gases will be permitted to return through pipe 52 and pipe 49 to the pressurepump 48 f thereby causing a circulation of the gases between the pum` arid pipe 46, and reducing thev pressure o the gases delivered to thecombustion chambers. In order to determine the exact pressure of gases being delivered to C"the combustion chambers pre/ferably within the pipe 46 a pressure gage I 65. i

Ulv

I place The engine can be started in any suitable manner usually by a handle attached to the shaft. rlhis is a common -form used for starting explosion engines and it is not thought necessary to glve a description and detail of construction.

In Fig. 4 a modification is shown, wherein the openings 40 in the plate 38 and the openings 44 in the cylinder head are arranged in such manner that gases are admitted to the explosion chambers only upon each complete revolution ofthe piston.

In Fig. 5 another modified form is shown wherein'the plate 38 has four openings 40 therein and the cylinder 6 has four openings 44 therein, so that, if desired, gases may be admitted through the four ports in less,

uantities than delivered into two ports and tie explosionsv may occur simultaneously, alternately or successively.

Of course, it is obvious from the foregoin description that certain parts of detail an( modifications in construction may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

'Ihe operation of the invention is as follows: Gases are taken from the carbureter through pipe into the pressure pump 4S and from the pressure pump is delivered to pipes 47 and 46 and thence to the gas retaining chambers 43 where it is delivered through the ports44 into the combustion chambers 17 through the openings 40 in the late 38. The position shown in Fig. 2 disc oses the piston and abutments in position wherein the combustion chambers are formed and after gases have been delivered into said combustion chambers, the explosion then occurs which drives the piston 1n the direction of the arrow, shown m Fig. 2, causing the walls 18 ofthe piston to dischar e inert gases through the exhausts 20, foliwing which K the walls 18 will lift the abutments 23 and allow the piston heads 15 to Apass by said abutments, whereupon the abutments will ride down the wall 16 o'f the piston blade and again assume the position shown in Fig. 2. When the abutments .first start to 'move down the walls 16 of the piston the openings osition to regisf ter with the openings 44 in t the position shown in Fig. 2 the openings 40 and-44 will register with gases will be admitted e cylinder head, so that just as the abutments have reachedy pressure pump through the pipe 52. This g opening of the valve 53 will permit a free circulation of the gases in the required quantity between pipe 46 and the pressure pump. l 'lfhus it will be seen that the engine can at all l times be controlled as .to etliciency and speed by varying the pressure ol the gases by the valve 53.

Having thus described my invention, what l I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rotary explosive engine, the coinbination of a stationary -cylinder provided with admission ports, a piston rotatably mounted within said cylinder, abutments coperating with said piston to form com bustion chambers, a plate carried by the piston and provided with openings adapted cylinder after the abutments have been operated to form the combustion chambers, a pressure pump controlled by the engine, pipes connecting said pump with the combustion chambers, a shunt pipe connecting the pump with the pipes leading to the combustion chambers, and a valve in said shunt pipe for controlling the-pressure of the gases delivered to the combustion chambers.

2. In a rotary explosive engine, the combination of a stationary cylinder provided with admission ports, a piston rotatably mounted within said cylinder, abutments coperating with said piston to form combustion chambers, a plate carried by the piston and provided with openings adapted to register with the admission'ports in the cylinder after the abutments have been operated to form the combustion chambers, a carbureter for generating the gases, a pump controlled bythe engine, pipes connecting the pump with the carbureter, and combustion chambers, valves within said pipes permitting the gases to be taken Jfrom the carbureter and delivered under pressure to the combustion chambers, andmeans for varying the degree of pressure of said gases. n

3. Ina rotary explosive engine, the com- ,with admission ports, apiston rotatably mounted within said cylinder, abutments cooperating with said piston to form the combustion chambers, a plate carried by the piston and provided withv openings adapted to register With'the admissionqports in the cylinder after the abutments have been operated to form the combustion chambers, a carbureter for generating the gases, and a the gases from the carbureter, andi deliver.- ing them to the combustion chambers under pressure.

4. .In a rotaryv explosive engine, the combination of a stationary cylinder having ad- .mission ports on one side thereof, a piston pump controlled by the engine for receiving to register with thel admission ports in the IOD IIO

bination ol' a stationary cylinder provided rotatably mounted Within said cylinder, and provided with aplate having openings adapted to. periodirally register with tlie openings in the (.ylinder, abutment-s operatively controlled by the piston and 'forming one of the Walls-of the combustion (vliainliers, means for delivering tlie eliarges to the admission ports under pressure, and' means for exploding said eliarges within tlie eembustion elianliers after tlie admission ports are elosed.

5. In a rotary explosive engine, tlie eomliination of a (.ylinder provided with adlnission ports, a piston. mounted lwitliin said cylinder; aliutinents operatively controlled by, the piston to form one oi the Walls ol' the combustion (.liainliers, a plate carried ly the piston and provided with openings adapted to register with tlie admission ports in the cylinder and intermittently admit charges to the eomlnistioi-i eliainliers, means for placing the eliarges under pressure, pipes. for delivering,r barges to said combustion eliamlzers under pressure, and a valve eon. trolled shunt pipe for varying` tlie pressure of said eliaig'es.

6. ln a rotary explosive-engine, t/ lie eombination of a stationary eylinder, a piston rotatahly mounted Within said cylinder, aliutments eoperating with said piston to ated to form the combustion eliamliers, and

a sparking deviee projeetiiigz, into -eaeli of said .eomliiistion eliamliers and timed to become operative immediately after the admission ports are elosed.

7. ln a rotary explosive engine, the eemliination of a stationary eylinder provided 'with admission ports, a piston rotatably mounted Within said eylinder, a plate earried by tlie piston and provided with openings adapted tdregister with tlie admission ports in the cylinder, abutments eoperating with the piston to form combustion eliamliers, means for delivering tlie gases to said eemlfustion eliamliers under' pressure, means for regulating the pressure of said gases, and a sparklingi device proJeoting into oeaeli of saidv eoinliustion eliamlzers andv timed to become operative immediately after the admission ports are closed.

'RICHARD E. KiiAUsE.

l/Vitnesses: K Y

WM. A. COURTLAND, DAVID J. NEWLAND. 

